The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-03-19
The Dayton Flood again.

DAYTON. March y, lSSi-ln your last
issue Mr.. VIM Thomas, an old citizen of
Ottawa, came out In u lengthy article ad
hitting that ne Is the author Of the unjust
criticisms on the action Of the canal au
thorities, and charging your correspondent
with telling falsehoods. Our citizens and
manufacturers feel that Mr. Thomas has
very much misrepresented the facts In this
matter and desires that We should answer
his article and place the facts again cor
rectly before tine public.
Why should we write anything but the
truth when We are user of the water at
this place and loser by the shutting out
of the water: We are also your reporter
tor this vicinity an! always try TO give your
paper nothing but the facts, and we know
that We are supported by the citizens here
who were witnesses of the overflow, In
saying that We have given the facts cor,
recty Ia the matter.
In Mr.. Thomas whole article he does
not and cannot deny the points we made,
viz: Of the danger during Sunday and
Monday, Feb. 18th and 18th of a wholesale
destruction of the banks, and OF the fact
that The canal was filed rs rapidly as the
water could force its way through the Ice
jam. There can be no &c ,idi of these facts
Mr.. Thomas charges that We admi ted
that the Ice gorge broke below the dam
Sunday night, Why does he say this,
when in our last correspondence dated
Feb. 24tb this was one of the points
which We most eaphatically denied. We
claimed that the ice remained in the same
dangerous condition on Monday rs on Sun.
day.
MIR. Thomas claims that on Tuesday
morning the canal authorities declared to
him, standing on the bridge at Dayton,
that no damage was done TO the canal. We
were present during that conversation, as
We're also three or four more responsible
witnesses who testify to the same thing,
and heard the canal supt. say that he did
not know what damage was done to the
banks. How could he tell when the ice
was piled up all over the banks? Mr..
Thomas acknowledged during the CONVEX.
sstion on the bridge, that he had been up
trying TO examine the banks but as he had
no shovel to clear away the ice, he could
not tell the condition Of the banks.
he states was cut on Monday. These are
the facts: the canal authorities thought the
danger 80 great that they employed the
" lo were lult Jay W Sut
the frost out of the bank below the paper
mill, so that In case the river raised again
and Overilowed the banks, the bank could
be quickly and easily cut and the water
turned into the river again. and the canal
would not be given more water than it
could dispose of, 1t was not safe to cut
the bank any nearer the locks as the river
was too high.
We have never said or claimed that any
damage was done TO the banks at this time,
but these are the facts . during the heavy
run of ice of Feb. 9Th the banks near the
dam were cut about one.half through for
a distance of nearly 100 feet, and the states
IN were two or three days repairing
them hut the banks were still weak, how
ever, when the flood of the 18th came on
and it was only by narrow escape that
they were preserved. Instead OF finding
fault, MIR. Thomas should feel thankful
that his electric light was not dimmed for
three months instead of three days.
In regard to the measurements which he
states he made at the lock, we have re-
sponsible witnesses who testify that at no
time was the water more than fourteen In
ches low at the locks and that more water
was being let in every day than could force
its way through the Ice jam.
We have interviewed few of our promi-
nent citizens and give you their opinions
A. F. Dunavau, ESQ.,, of the Horse Collar
Works, says he feels confident that the
authorities did the proper thing in shut.
ting out the water on that Sunday, and
that there was great danger to the banks
by the overflow. His factory was laid idle
for few days, but he feels confident that
his loss would have been much greater had
not the canal authorities shut out the
water. J. W. Channel, of the Tile Works,
says he Is positive the authorities did per.
fectly right in shutting cut the water, and
that any one who would have seen the con-
dition of the river at the dam at that time
could not have different opinion. He
was an eye witness Of the overflow. He
had lived In Dayton good many years,
andl never saw the water In as danger
Gus a condition to the banks as on that
Sunday and Monday.
C. w. Trumbo who has lived here 30
wears says he never saw the water at the
dam so high. Mr. d. Moore of the paper
mill thinks the authorities did the proper
thing, as do Mr. Davis and Green Bros.
OCCASIONAL.
Most everything IN this world is full OF